Archive for January, 2012

When I was a little girl in the ’80s, the word internet was unheard of. Online games were nonexistent, and although we had a number of gadgets such as Speak N Spell and Nintendo to keep us entertained, my fellow …

After making plans to spend Chinese New Year’s Eve strolling around Binondo, Manila’s famous Chinatown, my uncle Joeboy told me about his personal experience there during last year’s celebrations. He jokingly likened the congested streets of Binondo to a war …

I’ve trekked with two types of travelers: 1) the one who prefers to dine in clean and sanitized places, carefully avoiding grade C and below restaurants and 2) the cowboy who doesn’t mind braving underground spots and eating street food …

Whatever you prefer to call it—penny smasher, coin smasher, penny squisher, coin press, or penny pincher, among many other things—it refers to that novelty machine found in amusement parks and tourist spots that melt and roll your penny into an …

Call it the power of marketing. Just place a popular logo, brand or character on any ordinary consumer item and its selling power increases tenfold. When my family and I spent New Year’s Eve in Disneyland Hong Kong, my …

Sanrio was a huge part of my childhood. At least once a week after school, I would visit Gift Gate, a chain of stores in the Philippines that carries Sanrio products. I would spend hours there, just browsing through hordes …